Wright said he s not overly worried about being overlooked, but he fears others more seriously ill than him could suffer the same fate. He, like many Floridians, is frustrated by the nebulous wording of Gov. Ron DeSantis Executive Order No. 21-47.
Under the order, Health Department staffs may vaccinate persons determined by a physician to be extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.
Following DeSantis’ issuing of the order, the Florida Department of Health released a form for doctors to fill out to allow a patient to receive the vaccine. The form does not obligate the physician to indicate what condition his or her patient suffers from.
To be considered extremely vulnerable, a person must meet eligibility criteria established by a form prescribed by the Florida Department of Health, Maddox said.
The form, which will be used by physicians to determine vaccination eligibility, was posted on the DOH Facebook Page earlier today. A physician s note must be presented at a vaccination site.
Included among those now available to provide vaccinations are all physicians licensed under Chapters 458 and 459 of Florida Statutes, which appears to be almost any medically licensed doctor.
Also, advanced practice nurses and pharmacists holding specific state licensing were offered the opportunity to administer vaccines to the extremely vulnerable, Maddox said.
The news release also urges the public not to be fooled by a fake Eventbrite account. Always use the link provided by DOH-Okaloosa and Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners, the release said. Registration is free. DOH-Okaloosa will not ask for credit card information or your Social Security number.
That issue aside, DOH-Okaloosa still encourages people to register online, noting that callers might experience delays, dropped calls and busy signals because of high-call volume.
Anyone born in January 1956 or earlier and non-hospital health care workers with direct patient contact are eligible for a vaccine appointment. IDs will be verified at the vaccination event, and if anyone scheduled does not meet these criteria, their appointment will be canceled.
CRESTVIEW While sitting next to a table that was decorated with Christmas wreaths outside the Silvercrest Health and Rehabilitation Center, 88-year-old Annie Quick on Monday morning became the first person in Okaloosa County to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
After Quick received her shot, 55-year-old Crestview resident and Silvercrest certified nursing assistant Rosemarie Lisenbee received the vaccine.
They marked some of the first COVID-19 vaccinations in Florida, as part of the state’s partnership with CVS Health to administer the free Pfizer vaccine.
Before receiving her shot, Quick, who is a native of Andalusia, Alabama, noted that more than 300,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.